Envelop moistener and sealer



N0. 6ll,873. Patented Oct. 4, I898. H AwTHEXTDN.

ENVELOP MOISTENER AND SEALER.

(Application filed. Jan. 15, 1898.)

I (No Model.)

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UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY A. THEXTON, OF sT. THOMAS, NORTH DAKOTA.

, ENVELOP MOISTENER AND SEALER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent 0. 611,873, dated October4, 1898. Application filed January 16, 1898. Serial No. 666,747. (Nomodel.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY A. THEXTON, of St. Thomas, in the county ofPembiua and State of North Dakota, have invented a-new and ImprovedEnvelop Moistener and Sealer, of which the following is afull, clear,and exact description.

This invention relates to machines for moistening and sealing envelops;and the object is to provide a machine of this character that shall becomparatively simple in its construction and operation and with whichsuccessive envelops may be rapidly moistened and sealed.

I will describe a machine embodying my invention and then point out thenovel features in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a section through the line 1 1 of Fig. 2 of a machineembodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a section through the line 2 2 of Fig.1, and Fig. 3 is a section through the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the base of the machine-casing,on which are socured the side pieces 2, having a removable cover 3.Having journal-bearings in the side pieces are alower feed-roller i andalower discharge-roller 5. Ooactin g with the dischargeroller 5 is anupper discharge-roller 6, having its journal-bearings in blocks 7,moving vertically between guides 8, and the roller 6 is held yieldinglywith relation to the roller 5 by means of springs bearing upon theblocks 7.

Above the roller at is a roller consisting of a feed-section 9 and amoistener-section 10. This roller has its journal-bearings in blocks 11,movable vertically between guides 12 and held yieldingly by springs 13,bearing upon the blocks. The rollers 4, 5, 6, and 9 have a covering ofrubber to provide elasticity and an outer covering of felt or similarmaterial to absorb any moisture that may be upon an envelop. The rollers4 and 5 are connected by a belt 14, so as to rotate one from the other,and one of these rollers (here shown as the roller 4.) has a crank 15 onits extended journal, by means of which the rollers may be turned; but,if desired, a band or other wheel maybe substituted for the crank andthe rollers operated by a suitable motor.

The moistening-section 10 is conical, with the smaller end toward thesection 9, and be Secured between the side pieces 2, forward of thefeed-rollers, is a platform 18, and this platform has an extension 19between the feed and discharge rollers. At one side of the platform is aguide-strip 20, against which one edge of an envelop engages to guide itbetween the rollers.

In operation the envelop to be sealed is placed upon the platform 18, asindicated in Fig. 2, and then pushed forward with the flap projectedoverthe reservoir 16. The rollers 4 and 9 will feed the envelop along,and the roller-section 10 will press the gummed por-' tion on thewicking 17, and the rollers 5 and 6 will close and press the flap downon the body and discharge the sealed envelop. As the upper rollers yieldvertically, it is obvious that the thickness of the contents of theenvelop will be immaterial.

Whilethe discharge-rollers are of importance, they are not absolutelyessential, as it is obvious that the envelops may be discharged directlyfrom the feed-rollers.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. An envelop moistener and sealer, comprising acasing, a feed-roller mounted therein, a roller above the feed-roller,consisting of a feeding-section, and a conical moistenersection, and astationary moistening'device below the conical section, and againstwhich the envelop-flap is pressed by the conical section, substantiallyas specified.

2. An envelop moistener and sealer, comprising a casing, a pair offeed-rollers in the casin g, the upper one of said feed-rollershavinclined downward and forward, substantially as specified.

4. An envelop moistener and sealer, comprising a casing, a platform inthe casing, a pair of feed-rollers, the upper one of said feedrollershaving a conical section, a Water-reservoir having an inclined top andan opening therein for a moistening material, and discharge-rollers,substantially as specified.

HENRY A. TI-IEXTON.

"Witnesses:

J NO. M. OGoNNoR, km. A. CULL.

